Rockies SS talks about the steroid era, favorite ballparks and more

NEW YORK—Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki missed 25 games with a broken rib, but still is having one of the best seasons of his career with 20 home runs to go with a .381 on-base percentage and .562 slugging percentage. Those would be the best figures of his career if they hold up the rest of the way.

Last week, the three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner sat down with Sporting News to answer a few questions.

Sporting News: If you could trade places with anybody in baseball for a day, who would it be?

Troy Tulowitzki: Derek Jeter. He's my idol—the reason why I wear No. 2. Just the way he goes about his business. This year, I know he's had some ups and downs, but overall, just to be in someone's shoes for a day, it would probably be him.

SN: You've gotten to spend some time with him, right?

TT: Yeah, I've seen him, done a couple of his camps that he does here in the city. Good dude, down to earth, does it the right way.

SN: You're not on Twitter, right?

TT: I don't do any of that. For me, I care about this game so much and I'm so competitive, I know that about myself. I'll have the interaction with people, sign autographs for fans, but to just be open and for them to be able to say whatever they want to me, I'm not going to open myself up to that.

SN: Baseball has a lot of unwritten rules. What would be the one that sticks out to you the most?

TT: Most important is to respect the game. You hear that all the time, and what does it really mean? Whatever you're doing out there, if you're doing it out of respect for the game, you're probably doing it the right way.

SN: Other than winning a World Series, what's one thing you'd like to accomplish before your career is over?

TT: Just being known as a good teammate I think is the biggest thing when it's all said and done. People might look at World Series rings or playoff appearances, or this and that. If you can look back on it and have all your teammates who played with you respect you because you took the field and played hard every day and you're a good clubhouse guy, I think that means a lot.

SN: You went to the World Series in '07 and one of the memorable things about that was the crowd in Colorado doing the clap and chant with your name. What did that mean to you? It's not that common in baseball.

TT: It's something that throughout my career, they've done it, especially when we pack the stadium. I think, when I was a younger player, it was something that I had to learn to deal with because you get pumped up so much, you want to come through and sometimes the game sped up. As you get a little bit older, you say, "hey," and you realize how to slow down in that situation. Overall, them doing that, it's cool and something you remember when the club offers you a contract. It makes you want to stay there—you feel beloved by the fans. It's something that's special.

SN: What's your favorite ballpark to play in, other than Coors?

TT: Dodger Stadium. Growing up in California, it's always beautiful weather there and the ballpark has a ton of history. The grounds crew does a great job with the infield and that's important for a shortstop. I think, overall, I enjoy being there the most.

SN: Is there someone from another sport you'd like to see play baseball?

TT: I can't think of one in particular. I think baseball—if I was a football player, I'd say maybe LeBron or someone—but baseball's such a difficult sport. Just because you're a great athlete, it doesn't translate sometimes, so there isn't really someone I'd want to see.

SN: The issue of steroids: Is baseball doing the right thing? Are the penalties stiff enough, and is the program working?

TT: I try not to get involved with that stuff. Let them handle it. All I can do is make decisions for myself and represent myself the best that I can for my career and know that I did things the right way. Everything else, hey, whatever happens, happens.

SN: Are you satisfied that you're playing on a level playing field with clean guys right now?

TT: For the most part, yeah. Yeah, we've had this hiccup here and there, but I feel that it's a pretty even playing field.

SN: What city would you like to see as an eventual expansion city?

TT: I'll go with Vegas. I stay there in the offseason and they do get pumped up about some sports. I'll pick it because I stay there in the offseason.

SN: Did you ever get to play there?

TT: Yeah. We had an exhibition game there one year after spring training and before the season started. It seemed like the fans were excited. I think it would be a good place.

SN: What's a stat that gets too much attention?

TT: If I had to pick one, I think batting average. I think it defines a lot of people, but really, if you're a high on-base guy, it shows you're getting on base, but batting average is the one that's always next to your name, up there in every stadium. It's an important stat, but at the same time, I think it's overhyped.

SN: If you could change one rule in the game, what would it be?

TT: It's not a rule, but if I could change one thing in the game, it would be the scheduling. I think it's a demanding schedule—162 games can be difficult on people. I know in Japan, they have every Monday off, and they play 140-something games. I think, with how many injuries there are and our limitations, that's something to look into.

SN: Complete this sentence: I'm the only player in Major League Baseball...

TT: I don't really know. I can't answer that. You can ask other people, but nothing really sticks out.